February 12, 2024

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There is a defined list of possible opponents for the NFL’s prime-time game at Arrowhead Stadium to open the 2024 season. … The Chiefs’ biggest offseason free-agent target already stands on the team’s sideline. … Usher gained a major dose of exposure from his Super Bowl halftime show appearance. … Plus: More on Nickelodeon’s Super Bowl coverage, sports bettors, Taylor Swift, and Allegiant Stadium security.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

So Who’s Coming to Arrowhead for the 2024 NFL Opener? The Schedule Wait Begins [[link removed]]

James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the Chiefs have won [[link removed]] Super Bowl LVIII, a significant part of the NFL focus turns to 2024 schedule watching.

In the spring the league is slated to release its schedule for next season, in keeping with its normal practice. Kansas City is set to host the season-opening game Sept. 5, continuing the NFL’s tradition of the defending Super Bowl champion having a prime-time home game on a Thursday night to start the new season.

By terms of the NFL’s long-established schedule formula [[link removed]], the Chiefs’ opponents for their 2024 games have already been determined, and the away team for that high-profile season opener at Arrowhead Stadium will be one of these eight possibilities:

Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals Denver Broncos Houston Texans Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The NFL typically hasn’t used the season opener for a game within a single division, and instead has shown a preference for a marquee interdivision or interconference matchup in that slot on NBC Sports, such as how the 2023 season started [[link removed]] with the Lions at the Chiefs, the ’22 season kicked off with the Bills visiting the Rams, and the ’21 season began with the Cowboys playing at the Buccaneers.

As a result, two opponents in particular emerge as the most likely scenarios for the 2024 season opener in Kansas City: the Ravens and Bengals. The Ravens-Chiefs game will be a rematch of the recent AFC championship game won by Kansas City, while the Bengals are looking to rebound after the season-ending injury to Joe Burrow during Week 11 in ’23. And there is arguably no better stage for the star quarterback’s comeback tour than the facility that Bengals teammate Mike Hilton once called “Burrowhead Stadium.”

The Texans also loom as a possibility, given their dramatic rise in 2023 from years of mediocrity—thanks partly to phenom C.J. Stroud—to the divisional round of the playoffs. If the NFL does change course and tap an AFC West divisional opponent for the Chiefs’ opener, it would almost certainly be the Chargers and new head coach Jim Harbaugh [[link removed]].

Meanwhile the Chiefs are scheduled to play the 49ers in 2024, a Super Bowl LVIII rematch that promises to be one of the most-anticipated games next season. But that will be a home game for San Francisco. The ’24 NFL opener will also start an expanded slate [[link removed]] of Week 1 prime-time games.

The Chiefs’ Biggest Offseason Deal Stands on the Sideline [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The most notable free agent for the Super Bowl LVIII champion Chiefs isn’t any player but instead head coach Andy Reid. And he isn’t even really a free agent.

Now a three-time Super Bowl winner and an NFL head coach since 1999, Reid is entering the fifth year of a six-year contract signed after the Chiefs’ LIV win in early 2020. Reportedly paying about [[link removed].] $12 million per year, Reid’s contract is increasingly out of step with current NFL trends, particularly as the Chargers recently hired [[link removed]] Jim Harbaugh, who is slated [[link removed]] to earn $16 million per year.

Elsewhere in the AFC West, Broncos coach Sean Payton also is paid more than Reid, with an annual salary [[link removed]] of about $18 million, and other NFL coaches reportedly earning more than Reid include the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin ($12.5 million) and the Rams’ Sean McVay ($14 million).

Set to turn 66 next month, Reid had been the subject of growing retirement rumors. But following Sunday night’s game, Reid said he intended to return in pursuit of a three-peat that has never been achieved in the NFL’s Super Bowl era.

“Yeah—I haven’t had time to think about it, but yeah, yeah,” Reid said when asked about his return for the 2024 season. (Reid confirmed on Monday [[link removed]]: He’ll be back.)

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt reiterated the sentiment, telling [[link removed]] the NFL Network that “I expect Andy to be back next year as we go for the three-peat.”

That return, however, will likely result in a contract extension or renegotiation as Reid has placed himself in a highly elite group of coaches in NFL history. Now, with three Super Bowl wins, Reid joins only Bill Belichick, Joe Gibbs, Chuck Noll, and Bill Walsh with at least that many.

A pay bump will increasingly be in Kansas City’s financial wherewithal, as the franchise is set for an additional elevation [[link removed]] in value with the latest Super Bowl win. It is also poised for further increases in key local revenue lines such as tickets, sponsorships, and merchandise. The Chiefs’ star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is already locked in to the richest player contract [[link removed]] in NFL history.

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More than 1,000 soccer lovers have already joined, with investments ranging from $100 to $25,000. Varying by investment level, owners get access to unique perks, from rounds of golf with players to having their names on jerseys to be worn in-game.

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Usher Didn’t Get Paid to Play the Super Bowl—but He Did Earn $52.5M in Exposure [[link removed]]

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Despite putting on a thrilling Super Bowl halftime performance full of dazzling dance moves, roller skates, and special guests last night, Usher didn’t get paid [[link removed]] by the NFL. The league covers expensive production costs, but it doesn’t pay the main act.

The biggest TV draw of the year attracts singers for another reason: exposure. Album sales [[link removed]] tend to skyrocket after an artist plays the Super Bowl. But how much money does that exposure generate?

Usher earned an estimated equivalent of $52,479,822 in exposure while performing (and appearing in a related pregame sit-down interview on CBS) on Sunday, Apex Marketing Group tells Front Office Sports. Those are the same folks who calculated last month that Taylor Swift had generated an equivalent of $331.5 million [[link removed]] for the NFL and the Chiefs this season.

Apex calculated the figure based on Usher’s reach across platforms between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET Sunday. The buildup to the game—since Usher announced his performance Sept. 24—undoubtedly brought the singer even more attention.

The high-profile marketing stunt coincides with the release of Usher’s latest album, Coming Home, his first since 2018, and the announcement this morning of new tour dates.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Taylor Swift ⬆ After four straight sold-out shows in Tokyo, concluding Saturday night, Swift successfully flew across the globe to attend the Super Bowl with plenty of time to spare. After a pregame chat [[link removed]] with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, a broadcast filled with plenty of suite look-ins from CBS, and even a W in an adult-beverage chugging contest when shown [[link removed]] on the jumbotron at Allegiant Stadium, Swift capped the evening by celebrating [[link removed]] with boyfriend Travis Kelce on the field after the game—and of course in the Las Vegas nightclubs [[link removed]] later Sunday night (and probably early Monday morning).

Nickelodeon ⬆ The first alternate broadcast of a Super Bowl aired Sunday night on Nickelodeon, and a quick search on Google or social media shows overwhelmingly positive reviews of the kid-friendly telecast. “It felt like the kind of broadcast many kids would love and engage with in a way they might not with a traditional football broadcast,” Awful Announcing’s Andrew Bucholtz wrote [[link removed]]. “And it was highly entertaining as an alternative to the oft-serious National Football League main feeds, even for those watching it without kids around.” The trend may take a break next year when Fox broadcasts Super Bowl LIX but will likely continue when future games air on NBC and ABC, which could utilize Peacock and various ESPN channels, respectively.

Sports bettors ⬆ The Chiefs’ overtime victory was good news for a majority of the sports betting public. Several sportsbooks told ESPN [[link removed]] that Kansas City winning and the point total going over 46.5 in extra time were huge losses for the house. Meanwhile, the length of Reba McEntire’s rendition of the national anthem became a point of controversy [[link removed]], with confusion around when the country music star actually finished the song. But BetMGM decided to pay out both those who bet on the over and those who chose under 90.5 seconds—a couple of rare reasons to celebrate for the average Joe.

Stadium security ⬇ Despite the vast measures taken by the NFL to secure the field of play, two partial streakers were able to get on the field Sunday night, briefly stopping [[link removed]] the game during the second quarter. Their 15 seconds of fame wasn’t long-lived, though—security workers at Allegiant Stadium were eventually able to take the two men down and escort them off.

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Conversation Starters With the first Super Bowl in Las Vegas completed, the NFL turns to an old friend for the next title game. New Orleans will host for an 11th time. See [[link removed]] the official logo of Super Bowl LIX. Go behind the scenes of Nickelodeon’s Super Bowl broadcast. Watch [[link removed]] how the voices of SpongeBob and Patrick captured their motions for animation. For just $60 you can style like Tom Brady and evoke a Super Bowl commercial hit. … Ah, too late. This [[link removed]] sold out in a flash. Editors’ Picks Reba McEntire Repeated “the Brave” in the National Anthem, Sending Prop Bettors Spiraling [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]BetMGM paid bettors on both the over and the under. Tuned In: Tush Push Into Broadcasting. Jason Kelce Meets With ESPN and Fox About TV Career [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]The Eagles center has not yet committed to playing next year. He’s exploring his options. The ‘Life-Changing’ Economy of Taylor Swift’s NFL Outfits [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Appearing in Swift’s game-day wardrobe has been “life-changing” for small businesses. Win a Vegas VIP Hoops Package

Front Office Sports has teamed up with the Pac-12 Conference to provide a VIP experience [[link removed]] to the Pac-12 men’s basketball tournament in Las Vegas from March 13 to March 16, 2024.

One lucky winner will receive two (2) all tournament passes with club access to the tournament at T-Mobile Arena. The winner will also receive a hotel room for four (4) nights in Las Vegas, a food and beverage voucher, and two (2) tickets to a Cirque du Soleil show. For more information on the Pac-12 men’s basketball tournament, visit Pac-12.com. Deadline for entry is February 25, 2024. See Official Rules [[link removed]] for details.

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